1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates generally to computer systems and, more specifically, to computer systems having hot swappable cooling fan systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many computer systems include components that, although important in keeping the computer system running, are not absolutely necessary for the short-term operation of the computer system. For example, where multiple hard drives or power supplies are included within the computer system, a hard drive or power supply can be temporarily removed without completely disrupting the operation of the computer system. To maximize uptime of computer systems, many components, such as hard drives and power supplies are hot swappable, which allow for the removal and replacement of these components while the computer system is still operating.
Another type of component that may be temporarily removed without completely disrupting the operation of the computer system is a cooling fan system. The cooling fan system may include the fan itself, fan shroud, fan ducts and/or any other related subassembly. There is, therefore, a need for a hot swappable cooling fan system for computer systems. There are, however, certain issues with cooling fan systems that interfere with the ability of the cooling fan system to be hot swappable. For example, a cooling fan produces vibration that may interfere with other components in the computer system. Thus, there is a need for vibration isolation upon mounting the cooling fan within the computer system.
An additional issue associated with implementing hot swappable cooling fan systems is that the size of the cooling fan is limited by the housing in which the computer system is located. A larger cooling fan produces more cooling, and thus, there is a desire to place as large a cooling fan as possible into a particular dimensioned location. However, the desire for vibration isolation interferes with the desire to maximize the size of the cooling fan in a particular location. There is, therefore, a need for a cooling fan system that is hot swappable, provides vibration isolation, and allows for the size of the cooling fan to be maximized for a particular location.